Play. Our co-pilot for change.
Change is happening at a hyper-speed around us. To deal with a radically-changing world, we must embrace Play as our co-pilot for creativity and transformation.
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I’ve just returned from a nature walk with a mushroom picking. I feel uplifted by the explosion of colours of the Fall and learning the skill through practice with a group of friends who have more experience than I have.
The mushroom picking makes me reflect on the playful activities I have embraced this year until now. Also, how they keep me inspired for the following months ahead once I start to slow down due to the coldest time of the year, reaching the marvellous -20C sometimes.
We live in a culture obsessed with productivity. We tend to approach our lives with a goal-oriented mindset: set goals, work hard, and achieve them. Strategizing and optimizing is our way to success. On the one hand, I appreciate it as we don’t lose track of our purpose.
The thing is that it is tempting to approach our creative lives with the same mindset — but it doesn’t tend to work out very well. Why? Creativity can’t easily be into simple formulas or structures, unlike productivity.
An excessive drive for order interrupts the beautiful chaos needed for creativity to drive. — Simon Sinek
We can nurture a creative state of being through Play. Creating more space in our schedules, minds, and physical environment; embracing joy and spontaneity; and quieting the mental chatter long enough. It allows inspiration to flow from the deeper wellsprings of the imagination.
While there’s no formula for creative inspiration, creativity thrives in an open, relaxed, and expansive mind.
It involves quieting down externally focused, task-oriented thinking in favour of more fluid and inwardly reflective thought process. To put it simply: less doing, more being.
Play is the highest form of research. — Albert Einstein
The creative mind is a mind at Play. Any time we’re making something new. In the adult life, Play falls by the wayside. But making room for Play keeps us curious, inspired, and spontaneous — and it naturally fuels our creative process.
Children are naturally creative, and it’s because they play. According to psychologist Lev Vyogtsky, child Play is the birthplace of the creative imagination. Engaging in imaginative Play stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving in children and adults alike.
Prioritize whatever brings more joy and fun into your everyday existence.
What matters tomorrow is created today.
As designers of our own life, we must be explorative in our approach. We need to push our limits. You can be purposeful through Play. Dedicating time where you explore and experiment, you make sure what you create now in your life has the ingredients of what matters to you tomorrow.
PLAY is our co-pilot for change
We are at a defining moment in time. Change is happening at an incredible speed. We can’t predict where we are going, but we can help shape the direction.
Unlearning does not come easily. Play can make the unlearning process less painful. It allows us to see the world with fresh eyes and tap into our intuition, creativity, and imagination.
You can ask yourself: what do I need to unlearn? Is there any habit I see as no longer relevant and is not helping me to grow?
You can embrace adventures, make a solo date with yourself as time for personal renewal, or add a playful way in your week to unlearn it.
To be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude. — Rollo May
You can see Playful unlearning as a mindset. Let’s bring it into practice in life.
